Melior Deer – About Us - Faster growing venison genetics

ABOUT

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Our philosophy to be socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable underpins everything we do here at Melior.

Our desire to be ahead of the game extends to genetics, economic and environmental management, and social change.

At the heart of our business is the desire to produce the fastest-growing, commercially efficient animals with outstanding temperaments.

We believe better people make a better company, so Melior has an upskilling programme for staff, which not only helps them achieve their individual personal growth goals, it also helps the team deliver to our customers’ needs.

Environmental compliance is at the heart of all farming. New genetics, techniques, innovative solutions to better manage the environment and technology adoption sees us invest heavily in the health and well-being of our land.

OUR TEAM

Passionate, dedicated and future-focused, the team at Melior are what makes our business great.

Sam

Sam is passionate about helping young people find the opportunities and stepping stones they need to build a successful future in the deer industry.

She especially enjoys encouraging women to recognise the value they bring to a traditionally male-occupied industry, and backing them to become leaders, innovators and key contributors to the industry’s future.

One of Sam’s favourite sayings is, “Deer are like women—intelligent, beautiful and, when handled well and invested in properly, incredibly valuable to any business.” 😉

Favourite quote – Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
“Well-behaved women seldom make history.”

Tom

Tom – With an Agricultural Science Degree (Hons) from Lincoln University, Tom’s background is in farm management, with a strong systems focus. With New Zealand’s diverse and challenging farming environments, he places great emphasis on understanding the needs of each individual farming system before pairing it with the right genetics.

Having developed a passion for genetics from a young age—starting with Angus cattle before progressing to deer—Tom has spent the past decade building and advancing the genetics programme alongside wife Sam.
Having used the genetics extensively in their own commercial venison operation, they saw first-hand the impact they could make while also identifying opportunities to continually improve and evolve the programme.

Tom also has a strong passion for venison and sharing the story behind it with consumers. Spending time overseas understanding who consumes the products New Zealand farmers work so hard to produce has reinforced his belief that farmers benefit enormously from connecting with the end consumer.

“In constantly evolving businesses and farming landscapes, the genetics we produce have to evolve as well.”

Jake Chardon

Jake has a passion for breeding programs, and breeding animals that are the most profitable under Melior’s clients’ farming environments.

Jake started the Deer Improvement genetic program in 2003, after 25 year experience in dairy cows in the Northern Hemisphere.

At present, he is also involved in breeding programs for dairy goats (DGC), dairy sheep (MauiMilk) and dairy cows (LIC).

Boyd Gudex

Boyd is responsible for the genetic data management and assisting with decisions in relation to Melior’s breeding program. As a former employee of LIC, Boyd has been involved in the breeding program since 2010. He carries out this role in parallel to his primary job working for BREEDPLAN in Australia. Boyd has a Masters Degree in Animal Breeding from Lincoln University, a PhD from the University of New England in Australia and extensive on farm livestock genetics experience.

Sherryn Smith

Sherryn has been part of the team at Melior for 9 years, with eight years working for Deer Improvement before that. Based in Queenstown, she looks after all administration tasks as well as lends a hand on the farm when required. A keen skier, when she’s not at work in winter you’ll often find her taking to the slopes.

Hamish Read

After completing my Bachelor of Agricultural Commerce at Lincoln University, I was determined to build a career in farming. Coming from a non-farming background, I set myself the challenge of building the skills and experience that have led me to my role as Stock Manager at Melior.

I first joined Melior as a shepherd for a couple of years before spending a year away. That time away reinforced just how much I enjoy a challenge, particularly the complexity of multi-stock farming and the added dimension of working within a leading deer stud. Returning as Stock Manager has given me the opportunity to step up, take on more responsibility, and continue pushing myself within a business that is always looking to improve.

What I enjoy most about my role is being involved in so many different aspects of the business. From leading within the team and watching people develop, to working with our stags, velveting, and being involved in our breeding programme, I really enjoy the diversity that comes with this role. I thrive in an environment where there’s always something to solve, improve, or refine.

Outside of Melior, I’m on the executive committee of the Mackenzie Young Farmers, which has been a great way to stay connected to the wider rural community and continue developing leadership skills. I’m passionate about the deer industry, and I’m proud to be part of a business that’s recognised as a leader in it. Being involved in what we’re building together and the direction we’re heading, is something I genuinely enjoy.

HISTORY

Melior is a family business run by Tom and Sam Macfarlane and began life as Deer Improvement Limited (DIL).

DIL was established by Livestock Improvement Corporation in 2003 to produce the fastest growing red deer venison genetics for New Zealand farmers.

Melior Venison (formerly known as The Kowhais) farms 800ha with 5,500 head of deer wintered. The six-year development of the farm increased the deer numbers from 10% of stock units to 80%. As part of the development, genetics were a priority and something we have always been interested and passionate about, regardless of the livestock species. Through this process, a lot of our breeding goals aligned with those of Deer Improvement. Natural progression and passion for deer led us to the Deer Improvement farm and business in 2017, in partnership with family, John and Melinda Macfarlane.

We see our commercial background as a major strength. We look at our stock through the same eyes as our clients. We want the same things as most of our clients do and can therefore help them achieve their goals. Listening to feedback and adapting rapidly is crucial to the success of our clients and therefore our own business.

When we purchased DIL, we recognised that it was time for a brand re-positioning to reflect our new structure and approach.

Melior (pronounced Mee-lee-or) – which is latin for “better” fits perfectly with our business and sums us up well; we always striving to better ourselves and our operation so we can deliver the best value to our clients.